Air conditioning apparatus



Aug. 27, 1935. H. CQRIDLER ET AL 2,012,547

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 50, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f mzzzvm i607 CJP/a/er JJLZO?" 5239 y 2 air z' ar/ae 1935. H. c. RIDLER ET AL 2,012,547

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 50. 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Iii/9 E 10 I l Aug. 27, 1935. c, RlDLER ET AL 2,012,547

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 50, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITED STATES AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Harry 0. Ridler, George G. Zlngsheim, and Edward J. Luring, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 30, 1934, Serial No. 718,172

' 3 Claims. (01. 251-42) Broadly considered, our invention provides a highly efiicient apparatus for changing the temperature and'humidity of dwellings and other enclosures or habitations. It involvesa temperature producer, a. heat exchange unit connected thereto, a vaporizer or humidifier proper, and air circulating means in novel co-operative relation and connection. The heat exchange unit, the vaporizer and the air circulating means, as a feature of the invention, are assembled as a selfcontained air conditioning unit which preferably involves also an air filter.

, In the complete and preferred form of the apparatus, two types of temperature producers are.

employed, to wit: a furnace for operation in cold weatherto deliver hot heat exchange medium to the heat exchange unit, and a refrigerator or cooler for use in hot weather to deliver a cold cooling medium to the heat exchange unit. Under the action of the air-circulating medium,

such as a fan or blower, air circulated through heat exchange unit or radiator in cold weather or when the furnace is in action, will be warmed and caused to absorb moisture in the vaporizer,

the air will be filtered from dust and washed;v

. throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical-section and partly in full elevation and with some parts broken away, illustrating the complete apparatus;

Fig. 2 isa vertical section taken approximate- 1y on the hue 22 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line H of Fig. 5, showing also the floor and some of the equipment of the building, in

1 the basement of which the apparatus proper is ill-- stalled;

Fig. 5 is a perspective with parts broken away and some parts removed illustrating a novel arrangement of air ducts or conduits and their connection to the air conditioning unit;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in section showing a slight modification in the arrangement of the air delivery trunk and its branches; and

Fig. '7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but I illustrating a slightly modified construction.

The apparatus is preferably placed in the base-Q ment of a dwelling. Of the parts of the dwelling illustrated, the numeral 8 indicates the floor of the first story or ceiling of the basement, the .1. numeral 8 indicates room partitions and the numerals II and II indicate hot air registers of different rooms. A furnace or heater which maybe assumed to be of the steam boiler type is indicated as an entirety by the numeral l2. This 1 boiler or heater I2 is connected'to a hot water, heater I! which, in turn, is connected ,to a hot water supply or house service tank ll; said elements l3 and I4, however, constitute no' essential parts of the present invention.

As shown, the numeral l5 indicates a water supply pipe connected to a source of water sup-- ply, and by branch pipes l6 and I! connected respectively to the boiler l2 and to the hot water supply I. In branch pipe .IG is a valve II. 'The casing of the air conditioning unit is preferably made up of three sections I9, 20 and 2|, super-'- imposed one upon the other and-united. by interlapping joints 22 and 23, so that the said elements may be separated for the purpose of shipping. These several sections and the partition structures separating the same form three chambers I9, 20' and 2|. In the lower chamber I! is a fanor blower 24 driven by a small electric motor '25. The casing of theblower 24 has a vertically extended-air discharge spout 26 that leads into the back of the upper chamber 2|- and delivers air to and through the ele-. ment or heat exchange unit 21. This heat ex change unit is preferably of the high emciency 40 type usually designated as the copper tube and fln typ and it is extended completelyacross the chamber 2! so that all of the air from the blower must passthrough the same.

From the delivery side of the chamber 2|, an airtrunkflisextendedtoapoint orpoints where it is connected to a plurality of branch air delivery pipes}! that extend to. the various air delivery registers II, and II. At or close to points where the branch pipes 29 join the air trunk 28, each of said pipes is provided-with its own damper or check valve ll.

Opening into the top of intermediate chamber II, as shown through each side thereof, is an air delivery trunk or pipe 3| which, as shown,

leads from air return registers 32. Applied to the top of the lower section l9 and affording a partition between the chambers l8 and 28, is

a horizontal shelf or partition in which is mounted air filters 33. These filters are of a suitable coarse fibrous material such as spun glass or the like preferably contained in perforated metal casings and made removable from said shelf through a hinged door 34 in the front wall of I section it.

Located in the chamber 28 below the air re-.

turn or delivery pipes 3| are overlapping oblique baffles 35 that deliver drippings to a pan-like structure 38. Located in the upper central portion of compartment 28 is a water spraying nozzle or head 31 which, when operated, delivers a spray of water downward onto the ballles 35.

The top of the boiler I2 is connected to one.

end of the heat exchange unit or radiator 21 by a steam pipe 88 in which is a valve 38. The

other 'end of said radiator or element 21 is connected to the lower portion of the boiler |2 by. a

condensed water return pipe 48 valve 4|. 7

The refrigerator to be employed may take various different forms but, as shown, is of the type comprising a water-tight casing 42 through which is extended a cooling coil or pipe 43 that is adapt,-

in which is a ed to support a cake of ice 44. The receiving end of this coil 43 is connected to the water supply pipe l5 by a pipe 45 in which is a valve 48. The delivery end of coil or pipe 43 is connected to the lower portion of radiator or element 21 through'a pipe 41 in whichis a valve 48. The

spraying head 31 is connectedto the pipe 41 below valve 48 by means of a branch pipe 49 in which is a valve 58. I

For the draining of the radiator or element 21,

there is shown a short pipe 5| that taps the pipe 48, is provided with a valve 52. and which when said valve is open, delivers the drained water onto one ofthe upper baille plates 35. From the bottom of the pan 38,, an overflow pipe 53 leads to the lower water-containing compartment of the refrigerator casing 42. The delivery end of the pipe 38 is connected tothe drain pipe 53 by a cold water retum pipe 54 in which is a valve 55.

In the preferred arrangement, we have shown an arrangement whereby the circulation of air from the fan 24 through the radiator or heat exchange unit 21 will be automatically controlled and timed in respect to the action of an oil bumer usedin connection with the boiler or heater l2. -In this arrangement, see Fig. 4, electrical air conduit 28 just back of and close to the radi ator 21. This thermostat 5| is or may beof the well known type such as sold by the Minneapolis Honeywell'Regulator Company, at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and which will close the shunt 88 and supply current to motor 25'when and only when theshunt 51 is closed by thermostat 58. 52 indicates a drain pipe leading from the lower part of.

the refrigerator 32. I

The use of the apparatus illustrated as the heating and humidifying system, is as follows:

a heat radiator) will usually be of a capacity slit-- flcient for heating the entire house, building or unit to be supplied with heat therefrom. To setthe apparatus for heating and humidii'ying, valves 38-, 45, 58 and 4| should be opened, and valves 55, 48, 52 and I8 should be closed. At such time, the refrigerator 42 should be freed from ice or other cooling influence, inasmuch as in the arrangement described, its coil 43 simply acts as a conducting medium for, water supplied to the spraying nozzle 31. When the apparatus is set and operating as above indicated, steam will be delivered through pipe 38 and through radiator 21, and condensed water will be conducted back to the water compartment of the boiler l2 through pipe 48. The air drawn by the fan through air pipes 3| will be passed through the spray of water from nozzle 31 and washed clean and moistened thereby, and will then be forced through radiator 21 and heated by the latter so that the air delivered through air pipe 28 and its branches 28 will not only be raised to a proper degree of temperature to heat the rooms, but will carry with it vapor to the various room registers. It will be noted that the fan 24 draws air downward through vaporizer between the bailles 35 and through the filter 34. Hence, whenthe spray is produced from the nozzle 31, the air will be.

moist and regardless of whether or not the spray V is produced, the air will be cleared of dust by source through a delivery pipe 48' having interposed therein a suitable control valve 58". Excess water from the nozzle 48' will flow into the bottom of the fan casing and be drained off through a suitable drain pipe 21 When the apparatus is to be used in hot weather for introducing cooled air into the rooms, the furnace will, of course, be out of action and by means of ice or otherwise, low temperature will be produced in the refrigerator 42. At such time, valves 45, 48 and 55 must be opened, and valves |8, 4|, 38 and 58 should be closed. When the valves are thus adjusted, the water supply under pressure from pipe I 5 through pipe 45 will be forced through coil 43 and pipe 41 to the lower portion of the temperature exchange unit 21, will be thence forced through the said element 21 and caused to flow out through pipes 54, 53 and drain pipe 82. Under the action that will then be produced, air drawn to the fan 24 from the air trunk 8| will be forced through heat exchange element 21 which then acts as a temperature reducer to cool the air, and from thence through the air delivery trunk 28 and its branches 28 to the several rooms. Under his cooling action, if the atmosphere air is heavily laden with moisture, a part of the moisture at least will be precipitated onto the bames 35 and will be drained oil. through pipes 53 and 52. Thus it will be seen that air cooled amide-humidified, may be delivered and properly controlled by this apparatus during hot weather. If additionalwashing of the air is required even in hot weather, then valve 58 will be opened, thereby delivering a spray or water to the cooled air delivered to the element 21. By regulation of the dampers or valves 38,- the proportionate delivery of air both inhot and cold weather may The heat exchange element 31 (then acting as be readily accomplished,

Fig. 5 shows a very convenient arrangement of said dampers in alignment and within reach from a single point.

Fig.5 illustrates a slight modification in which the air delivery trunk ll isprovide'd with two main branches 28 and these in turn connected into mutual branch air delivery tubes I! equipped with individual dampers at 3!. The air supply to main branches 2|" is controlled by amain damper 30 The arrangement illustrated in Fig. is-like that described, except that the bullies 3i and 36 are in reverse arrangement in respect to the arrangementishown in Fig. 2. In this latter noted- I arrangement water dripping onto the lower baille' ping bailles within vsaid intermediate chamber,-

the latter having a drain connection for carrying on surplus water.

2. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a casing having .upper, lower and intermediate casing made up of chamber-forming ections, a heat exchange ele-- -tions,' means for intermediate chamber-forming section,- a pluchambers, a heat exchange element in saidupper chamber, means for evaporating water in said intermediate chamber, a blower in said lower chamher having an intake connected to draw air into and'downward through said intermediate chamber and having an air discharge leading to said heat exchange element, said upper chamber having an air outlet, and an electric motor for driving said blower, and a controlling circuit for said motor including a thermostat located in the air outlet irony said upper chamber and subject to the air acted upon by said heat exchange element.

3. An air conditio apparatus comprising a pper, lower and intermediate ment in the upper of said chamber-forming secaporating water within said rality of overlapping baflles in the intermediate chamber-forming section operatively arranged to collect condensed water and being provided with means for draining collected condensed water, a

a blower located in the lower chamber-forming section having an intake connected to draw air into and downward through said intermediate chamher and having an air discharge leading to said heat exchange element, said upper chamber having an air outlet.

mam! c. RIDLER. GEORGE a. museum.

EDWARD J. mama. 

